Closing Time
by CherryDarlingxo
Summary: "There might be a joke somewhere about a genius walking into a bar but I can't remember it right now," she said. "Can you?" "No, but I think he falls in love with the bartender in the end." The bar AU of your dreams (hopefully). OOC-ish. JimmyCindy.


Jimmy was having a bad day.

Not just a bad day but more like a bad week, or really just a bad month if he took the time to think about it. He was in between jobs - not that it was hard for him to find one if he really wanted to - having been nearly fired from his last one for being 'rude' and 'entitled' but he didn't quite agree with that. As time crept by and he found himself in his mid-20's, he had begun to realize that he didn't really know what to _do_ with his life. Sure, he had an IQ of 210 and a plethora of college degrees, awards, and accomplishments under his belt, but he wasn't sure if he was interested in anything but inventing things at his own leisure. No pressure, no stifling work hours, no annoying coworkers to deal with.

Plus, he hated having a boss. They tended to be too...bossy.

His girlfriend of nearly two years, Jackie, hadn't been happy with Jimmy when she found out about his now unemployed status. She was always encouraging him to do more; find a better job, invent something and sell it to a corporation for millions of dollars, and the list goes on. Jimmy just wasn't inspired, and he told her so. Jackie had always been a go-getter and couldn't stand the thought of having a boyfriend who was 'wasting his potential.'

Again, he didn't agree with that.

She'd dumped him following the not-so-pleasant conversation they'd had about jobs and life in general. She wanted to get married soon. She wanted _kids_. Jimmy didn't even know what he was going to be doing next week, let alone five years from now.

Upset and restless, he'd taken to the streets around his apartment in Chicago to try to find something to distract him. He thought about calling one of his friends but it was still mid-afternoon, and both Carl and Sheen had daily, steady jobs and he shouldn't bother them. He'd have to find something to do for a few hours before they would be free.

He wandered past the door of a bar, the type that didn't seem too upper-class but didn't give him bad vibes either. The windows were darkened and he couldn't see inside, but they were open in the middle of the day on a Wednesday, and that intrigued him enough to go inside.

It was a small place. There was a stage at the opposite end of the room, with the bar on the right side and various sized tables and chairs littered throughout the room on the left. It was basically empty too, only one older man sat on a bar stool.

The bartender was a young, blonde woman that didn't look up at him - not when he'd walked in or when he sat down nearly right in front of her. She was looking at something he couldn't see, and when a moment passed and she still hadn't said anything, he peered over the counter slightly and saw she was reading out of what looked like a textbook.

"Welcome to the Pour House," she said suddenly in a dull tone. The sound of her voice made him jump. She finally looked up at him and slammed the book shut. Her eyes were bright and green, sucking him in with intensity. "What can I get for you?"

"You don't sound very enthusiastic," he replied somewhat playfully, but she wasn't amused.

"I don't get paid enough to be enthusiastic," she replied while crossing her arms. "Do you want a drink or not?"

Jimmy figured that maybe this was one of those places that people specifically go to so the waitress and restaurant staff can be mean to them. This girl was downright vicious and he'd barely said five words to her.

"What do you recommend?"

"That depends on what type of day you're having."

"Well, I lost my job and my girlfriend dumped me today. I'm in a bar at two o'clock in the afternoon, so I would say that it's just a regular Wednesday."

She grinned then, surprising him with her quick change of demeanor. The smile lit up her entire face, making the angry girl that he saw a second ago disappear completely. Jimmy couldn't help but notice how pretty she was - if not a little sadistic for smiling at his response.

"That's rough," she said without a sympathetic note in her voice. "Give me a second."

He watched her grab a glass and a few bottles as she got busy making him a drink, and the man that was sitting a few stools away from Jimmy knocked on the wooden bar. The bartender ignored the knock but Jimmy glanced his way.

"She's got a talent with them drinks," he slurred slightly.

Jimmy glanced at the girl, who was still pouring but wasn't completely oblivious to the comment as he could tell by the pinkened cheeks that she was blushing.

"I'm not sure if I'm convinced since I haven't had one yet," he replied.

"Just trust me on this, boy. She'll heal your aching heart."

It was an odd comment to make but he brushed it off. The man was probably drunk anyway. Hell, Jimmy was about to be drunk too judging by the amount of alcohol the blonde was using. She set the glass down in front of him and watched his reaction closely as he picked it up.

"It's pink," he said, a little put off.

"Don't worry about the color. That's not important," she said while rolling her eyes. "Besides, it's a light red. Not pink."

"I think you need to study your color wheel a little more closely," he muttered, but took a drink of the concoction anyway. It was definitely strong but a slight sweetness tamed the overwhelming flavor of alcohol smoothly. It was surprisingly good, and he told her so.

"I know it is," she said, looking pleased. She watched him take a bigger drink. "Careful. There's a lot of booze in there."

"Seems appropriate for the day I've had."

"Do you want to start a tab?" she asked, all business. After he'd handed over his card, she opened her book again and he watched her read for a few minutes while sipping his drink. He liked the way her eyes moved across the page.

"What are you reading?"

She glanced at him, annoyed, before answering, "It's just one of my books for school."

He had a feeling that she had given him a vague answer on purpose to deter him from speaking, but he was feeling chatty thanks to the alcohol and she was the only one around besides the now snoozing old man sitting near him.

"What are you going to school for?"

"I'm going to the University of Chicago. Law school."

"Ah, I see." There was a moment of silence and her eyes flitted back to the book. He let her believe that he was done talking before opening his mouth again. "Aren't you going to ask if I'm going to school or not?"

She slammed the book shut again, clearly understanding that she wasn't going to get any studying done. "You read my mind, genius. I'm dying to know whether you're attending school or not," she said with her voice dripping in sarcasm. That made him smile.

Most girls, even the extremely smart ones he'd worked or attended school with, didn't have much a sense of humor. Or at least, not _his_ sense of humor. He swallowed the last of his drink and was thinking about ordering another when she pulled a glass from the top rack and started making it.

"We can read each other's minds," he said. "I'm a real genius, by the way."

He liked saying that to strangers - especially ones he knew he'd probably never see again. He knew that he'd never see this bartender again unless he started frequenting this bar, and since he hardly ever drank nowadays he doubted that was a possibility. It was fun to see their reaction.

"So am I. I'm also the Queen of Chicago."

"No, really. I am a genius."

She looked at him with a raised brow as she passed him his new drink. "I know you're newly single and probably need to start working on your pickup lines, but is that really what you're going to use? Because it won't work, I can already tell you that."

He started laughing, and she cracked another one of those face-brightening smiles. "I don't suppose you have a name?" he asked.

"Cindy," she said quickly. "But you can call me Your Highness."

"Jimmy Neutron," he said, putting out his hand for her to shake, and she did.

This time he really did let her get back to studying, and she would pause every once in awhile to make him or the now-awake-and-as-talkative-as-ever old man a drink. The later it got, the more people started to filter in, and Cindy eventually shoved her book into a cabinet underneath the bar.

Jimmy wanted to talk to her more, but she became busy with her other customers. He found himself quickly finishing his drinks so she could make him more and he could try to get her to smile again, and he was definitely feeling warm from all the alcohol.

After his fourth pink drink, she set down what looked like a beer. "You trying to tell me something?" he asked, and she shrugged.

"I can make you anything you want, but I told you those have a lot of booze in them and you're guzzling them down like water."

"Sorry."

She gave him a curious look. "Don't apologize. You don't seem like the type to get rowdy at a bar after drinking too much. Must be because you're a genius."

She'd been making jokes like that all night, and he could tell that she still didn't believe him. And why should she? He hadn't done anything to prove it. For once, he didn't want to. She didn't seem to be the type to be impressed that easily.

"A lot of people get rowdy here?"

"Every now and then. But it's okay, I usually take care of it. I have a black belt."

She picked up the drinks she finished making and gave him a wink before walking away. He wondered if that was her version of him saying he was a genius.

It was still early in the evening, but people kept showing up the bar, starting to crowd him on both sides. Cindy was attentive and sometimes even friendly to those she seemed to know pretty well, and he could tell that she was a popular bartender by the tips he could see people leaving. He didn't blame them. She was quick and didn't need to be told anyone's order twice.

Eventually a dark-skinned girl came in wearing the same outfit as Cindy, and came behind the bar to help her. She was more open and friendly towards people, but Jimmy still preferred the blonde and her sarcastic comments.

He busied himself with checking his phone - he had a few texts from Carl and Sheen, and he sent them his location. Jackie had called him and he wasn't sure why or if he wanted to find out, so he decided to ignore that situation for now.

He was starting to feel more bothered by his situation by the second. Seeing Jackie's missed call had been somewhat of a mood killer. She had always been the first person to apologize after a fight, and he had a feeling that she was trying to do that now. Their break up had felt too real, though. He didn't really see their relationship going any further.

A hand landed on his shoulder and he turned around to see Carl. Sheen was there, but he had already gotten distracted with a game that was playing on one of the big screen TVs.

"This place is kind of a dump," Carl commented.

"It's not too bad. I've been here for hours."

"Are you drunk?"

"No. Are you drunk?" Jimmy retorted, picking his beer up again only to realize it was empty. "Cindy! I need another one!"

Said girl was rounding the corner of the bar anyway, and she made her way over to him as if she had all the time in the world and no other customers vying for her attention. She ignored the request and glanced at the tall redhead that was now seating himself next to Jimmy.

"Are you going to be taking care of him? He's pretty drunk."

"Sure," Carl said.

"Are you really not going to get me another drink?" Jimmy asked as he was oblivious to the exchange that just happened.

"Coming right up," she said breezily, setting another glass down in front of him. He took a sip and furrowed his brow.

"This tastes like water."

She gave him a devious smile before walking off. Sheen came up behind his two friends, putting an arm around each one.

"This place is a dump," he said.

"I just said that!" Carl exclaimed.

"You guys need to be nice about this place. Everyone here is so nice. Especially the guy down there," Jimmy said, pointing to the area where the old man had been hours ago, but he was gone now. "And Cindy the bartender. She's my friend."

"Is she your rebound?"

"How did you know that Jackie and I broke up?"

"You facetimed me while I was on my way here and screamed it. You don't remember?"

Jimmy was unsure if he really did that - Sheen liked to play tricks on him. But he was feeling pretty drunk, so anything was possible. "Maybe it's time I leave."

"Good idea," Carl said quickly. His body language screamed 'uncomfortable' and had been since he walked in the crowded bar.

"I need to say bye to Cindy first."

"What's with your obsession with this girl?" Sheen asked, clearly amused. He directed his attention towards the other bartender Jimmy had seen running around for the past few hours. "Hey, can you go get that other bartender for us? My friend here wants to give her his number."

Jimmy elbowed him in the ribs but Sheen dodged it neatly.

"If you're talking about Cindy, she already left," the girl said. "You can leave your number if you want but I can guarantee it'll end up in the trash."

"Nope, we're leaving," Carl said, urging Sheen to move so he could force Jimmy off his barstool. The ride home was a little blurry, as was the rest of the night besides the memory of one blonde bartender.

-0-0-0-0-0-

The next day, Jimmy awoke with a splitting headache and a strong sense of nausea. It had been a long, _long_ time since he'd drank that much and it hadn't even been intentional.

He checked his phone, which was thankfully sitting on his nightstand, and saw he had a few texts. One was from Jackie, asking him to call her back. There was no way he was dealing with that right now. There was one from his mom and the rest were from Sheen, inviting him out to breakfast. It was only seven am. Jimmy groaned.

He was already awake, so he got ready and told Sheen he'd meet him in twenty minutes, nausea be damned.

"Hello my newly unemployed and single friend," Sheen said loudly as Jimmy sat down in the booth across from him at the diner they frequented.

"Can you not talk so loud?"

"I can't believe you got so drunk last night. It was hilarious."

"Where's Carl?"

"He said he had a work meeting. I secretly think he's just mad you kept him up past his usual bedtime of nine pm, though."

"What time did we leave that bar?"

"Not sure, sometime around midnight. You've lost your touch when it comes to partying all night long," Sheen said with a grin, causing Jimmy to roll his eyes.

After a glass of water and two aspirin, Jimmy felt good as new and his appetite hadn't disappeared forever. He made a mental note to invent something to prevent hangovers. Now that would be worth millions.

"What made you go to that bar last night? I don't think I've ever heard of it before."

"I was just walking and it looked interesting."

"Was the bartender interesting to you as well?"

Jimmy's mind conjured up an image of the bartender Sheen was talking about - blonde, bright-eyed, and sassy. "Shut up."

"Really, man, I'm sorry about you and Jackie. If you want to talk about it, I'm all ears."

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

The check came and Jimmy pulled out his wallet. He rarely carried cash so he reached for his debit card...but it wasn't in its usual slot. He checked all of the other ones before he realized where it was - the bar from last night. He'd never even paid his tab when he left.

Jimmy, slightly panicked, told Sheen this. "I'll cover you," he replied, grabbing Jimmy's check. "But you'll be lucky if that place doesn't charge you an arm and a leg for leaving your card. Most places do."

He wasn't sure if he was worried about that. The bar probably deserved the extra money for his behavior the night before - he definitely wasn't a violent or rambunctious drunk but he knew he could be a lot to handle.

He also wasn't sure if he minded going back there. He couldn't get a certain green-eyed bartender out of his thoughts for more than a minute, anyway.

Having a lot of time to kill before the bar reopened for the day, Jimmy found himself a little bored. Sheen had gone to work and it was still mid-morning. He decided to do what he'd been putting off; calling Jackie.

She answered on the first ring. "Jimmy," she said, her voice full of relief. "I was worried about you. Did you not get my texts? Or my calls?"

"I was just giving us both time to think," he said, already feeling defensive. "You broke up with me, remember?"

She was quiet for a moment. "I said a lot of things. I regret most of them. Can we just get together and talk in person? I can come over after work today."

"Maybe we should just take advantage of the time apart right now. No need to rush into anything. I can call you in a few days."

"If that's what you want," she said, sounding disappointed. "Promise you'll call?"

"Promise."

Telling her that he basically needed more time to think had been sort of cruel, especially when he already knew how he felt about her and potentially getting back together. The truth was that he hadn't been _that_ sad when she broke up with him. He wasn't happy about it, but he should be feeling heartbroken - they'd been together for a pretty long time. His feelings for her weren't as strong as he'd thought.

He killed time looking for a new job until he felt restless and left his apartment. Jimmy had to walk around the block a few times since the bar still wasn't open, and he didn't want to seem weird for hanging around the door. He realized as he walked in a few minutes after them opening, however, that he would probably seem that way no matter what just for being there so early.

He was pleased to find the place seemingly empty except for Cindy, who was in the same position he'd found her in the day before; slouched over the counter, reading a book. This time, she looked up in surprise when he sat down in front of her.

She shut her book immediately and gave him a thoughtful look. "You really are a genius."

"I am?"

"Don't play dumb. I googled your name yesterday. You really _are_ a genius."

"You googled me?" He asked, trying not to smile, and she blushed slightly.

"That's your own fault for telling me your whole name."

"So are you impressed by my intellectual prowess?"

"Nah, especially after the behavior I witnessed from you last night," she said lightly and it was his turn to turn red from embarrassment.

"I think that it's your fault. You kept giving me drinks."

"Hey, I was just doing my job!" She said angrily. "I cut you off eventually."

"It was too late by then. I'd already made a fool of myself."

"You got that right," she replied. "You facetimed your friend and talked really loudly about your breakup. I think you made yourself quite popular with the regulars here. They were talking about you all night."

"That's just great," he groaned.

"Cindy!" A sharp, male voice rang out from the back room, before a man around Jimmy's age poked his head around the doorway. "You going to work today or just stand around flirting with customers?"

He disappeared before she replied, but her entire demeanor had changed by then.

"Are you getting anything?" she asked him, no longer sounding like she was in the mood to joke around.

"Only the card I left here last night."

She turned to the cash register and grabbed his card, along with a receipt including the drinks he'd gotten the night before. She glanced back towards the doorway before speaking quietly, "I'm supposed to charge you 18% gratuity for leaving your card here all night." He whistled lowly at the amount even though he knew it was standard practice for bars in the city. "I know. But...shit happens. I didn't charge you for it."

"I don't want you to get in trouble," he replied.

"Just don't say anything about it to anyone, okay?"

He signed the receipt and she took it. "See you around, genius."

Jimmy left, confused about the exchange that had just happened. He wasn't sure why she wouldn't charge him the gratuity, especially since she could get in trouble and her boss seemed like a real asshole. He didn't know Cindy very well but she sure seemed like an interesting character.

Maybe he could convince Sheen and Carl to go to Pour House sometime in the future - next time he would make sure to forget his card again.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Luckily for Jimmy, that time came sooner rather than later. Carl had gotten a promotion at work, and it was natural for Sheen to force them all to go out and celebrate on a Friday a couple weeks later.

It was perfect timing. Jimmy had just landed a new job himself; one that he was actually excited about starting. He hadn't talked to Jackie much. He was mostly avoiding her and the hard conversation they were going to inevitably have, even though she had already broken up with him. He felt a little bit like an ass for dragging out the situation, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings. He kept promising himself he'd call her but kept putting it off.

It was nearly midnight, and Jimmy could tell Carl was about partied out, but Sheen still acted like he was 21 most of the time and insisted on bar hopping.

"We should go to that one bar with the hot bartender," Sheen suggested, pointing at Jimmy.

"Isn't that what you say about every bar you go to?" Carl retorted.

"No, man, the one with the blonde girl? Where Jimmy left his card after him and Jackie broke up?"

"Why do you want to go there?"

"I just told you. Hot bartender, remember?"

Jimmy had a feeling he wasn't talking about Cindy, who he couldn't stop thinking about. It was ridiculous, really. She was just any other girl, and he didn't know much about her besides the fact that she was a law student and worked at a bar. He couldn't deny that there was something about her that couldn't name be named, something that kept him interested.

Neither of them disagreed with Sheen's suggestion and next thing Jimmy knew they were walking into the familiar, crowded bar. There was a sign outside stating that it was karaoke night, and they could already hear the strained notes from someone who was a little too far gone to be singing in public. He spotted Cindy almost immediately - she was behind the bar and sporting a bored expression.

The three of them got lucky and snatched up a table that a group had just vacated and Sheen tried to get the attention of one of the other bartenders, the one Jimmy recognized as working the first night he was here, but she was busy and didn't see them.

"I'll just go up to the bar," he said, a tad bit on the eager side.

Although Cindy was in Jimmy's line of vision, she was moving farther down the bar as she took different drink orders, and another person took her place at the end where he was standing. It was the same guy who had yelled at her the day he'd picked up his card.

After five solid minutes of being ignored by the guy who's name tag clearly stated 'manager', he gave up and sat back down at the table.

"Sorry, I didn't have any luck."

"It's okay, I finally got the bartender over here. Not the one I've been trying to get the attention of all night though," Sheen said while glancing at the dark-haired girl wistfully. "The one that you like."

Jimmy just rolled his eyes but was glad that he'd actually be able to talk to Cindy. The three of them talked about the awful singing they were enduring from the group of young girls on the stage until their drinks arrived.

Cindy didn't seem surprised to see him - she must have recognized his friends.

"Welcome back, genius," she said, handing him a drink. Jimmy glanced back towards the bar and saw her manager glaring at him in the least subtle way possible.

"I think your boss wants to kill me," he said quietly, and she just shook her head.

"Don't worry about him. He's just a crabby ex-boyfriend that also happens to be my boss," she said, and he grimaced.

"That has to be rough," he replied.

"It's been a valuable lesson. Don't ever date anyone in the workplace or you get fucked over."

Carl almost spit out his drink and Sheen barked out a laugh. "I like her," he said loudly, his alcohol intake finally showing. "Can you do me a favor?"

She just shrugged. "Depends on what it is."

"Can you give your coworker my number?"

"If I had a dollar for every time I got asked that I'd be a millionaire," Cindy deadpanned, causing Jimmy to grin. "But sure. I'll tell her the tall goofy guy at table two wants to talk to her. Her name is Libby, by the way." She left after that, leaving Sheen yelling after her about the _goofy_ comment.

"I see why you like this place now," Carl said to Jimmy, who just tried to pretend he didn't know what he was talking about.

"I've only been here once."

"Yeah, but you were here for like eight hours. Jackie was always complaining that you never spent enough time with her, so that's a long time for you."

He had a point, but Jimmy didn't necessarily want to agree with him. So what if he found himself bored easily? He'd been learning how to entertain himself for years by creating inventions that would make his life easier, and he found it hard to keep his attention on one person or thing for a long time before he moved onto something else or...tried to improve it. He supposed maybe that's why he didn't feel compelled to get back together with Jackie. As cruel as it was, she just wasn't the person who could hold his attention forever.

Cindy returned to the table abruptly, this time she had the bartender named Libby following her. "I'm leaving work now so she will take care of you guys."

Sheen was suddenly silent, tongue-tied in the presence of the girl he had eyes for. She blushed a little under his attentive stare. She gave everyone at the table a little wave. "Hi guys. I'm not as fun as Cindy but I'm sure we'll still have a good time."

"You're leaving?" Jimmy said, the words coming out of his mouth unchecked and unwilling by his mind. "You should stay."

Everyone looked at him curiously, and he tried not to look embarrassed, instead keeping eye contact with the blonde. "I don't usually drink at the place I work."

"Who said anything about drinking?"

"Well, it is a bar. And after the night I've had I need a strong one."

"Girl, you should stay," Libby exclaimed, and Jimmy suddenly loved his new bartender for speaking up. "All you do is work and study anyways."

Cindy seemed to crumble under her friend's argument, and so Jimmy decided to deliver the final blow. "If you stay I'll sing karaoke. I'll convince Sheen and Carl to do it too."

The guys were making hand-to-throat cutting gestures at his words, but he ignored them. Cindy grinned at him almost scarily and she easily hopped onto the stool next to him.

"You win."

Jimmy lost count of the drinks ordered and the number of snarky comments Cindy had directed towards the three of them, but he had been blessed with friends who had thick skin - they could take a few well-placed insults before they started giving them right back to her, which she appreciated.

He liked the way that her cheeks turned pinker with each drink she had, and her previously stiff-shouldered demeanor loosened pleasantly. They talked about schools and their jobs and exchanged oddly hilarious spring break horror stories, but Jimmy realized that he still knew next to nothing about this girl. She was good at dodging personal questions and keeping the topic of conversation flowing so it wasn't focused on her. She was mysterious. He wanted to figure her out.

"You promised me a song," she said seriously as it neared bar closing time.

Her manager had been glaring at them all night, but Cindy seemed unbothered. Jimmy was a little unnerved.

"I did. What do you want me to sing?"

"Any song by Journey, preferably. Those are perfect bar karaoke songs."

He humored her and they all headed up towards the stage, where Carl stopped in front of and absolutely refused to move and Sheen was already on the stage and grabbing a microphone. Cindy planted herself next to Carl, but Jimmy grabbed her arm as he passed her on the way to the stage steps.

"Oh no. You're not getting out of this."

She just laughed as he shoved a microphone in her hands, and the three of them sang a pretty awful rendition of Don't Stop Believin', which had been sang approximately five other times throughout the night by different people. He was pretty sure Carl was filming the whole thing on his phone, which would come back to haunt him. It didn't matter, though.

It was probably the most fun Jimmy had in years.

-0-0-0-0-0-

It was only one week into his new job that Jimmy found he hated it - again. He wasn't going to be focusing on anything he actually cared about and it was frustrating him that it was taking him so long to find something that he loved.

"What's got your panties in a twist?" Cindy asked him as he sat down on a bar stool in front of her after a particularly hard day.

"Nothing. Can I have a drink?"

He usually wasn't short with her, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Not before you tell me what's wrong."

"I need to find a new job."

"Already?"

"Well, I hate the one I have now. It's an ongoing issue."

He told her about it as she made him a drink comprised of a few different kinds of liquor. It went down smooth and it was perfect for the mood he was in.

"If you hate it, then just quit," she said, shrugging. "It's not like you're married to it. You're young."

"Why do you always talk like you're eighty-five years old? Is there something I need to know?" He teased.

She laughed loudly. "No, but I'm wise beyond your years, genius."

He honestly believed that.

"What sort of job do you suggest, then?"

"Seems like you have control issues. Maybe you need to be a supervisor somewhere."

"I like the hands on work, though. Also - I resent that comment."

"Have you tried Abbott Laboratories? I noticed they were hiring the other day. I pass by them every day on my way to class."

"They keep trying to get me in for an interview, but I know they're a newer place. I haven't checked them out."

She just shrugged at his answer. "Always worth a shot. What do you have to lose?"

"I see now why you're becoming a lawyer," he said sarcastically, and she threatened to spray water at him.

The next day Jimmy quit his job, much to his boss' disappointment, and walked straight over to Abbott's for the interview they kept emailing him about. They hired him on the spot and promised him his own lab, which was promising. He was glad he took Cindy's advice, even though technically anyone could've give him the same advice. He felt more compelled to listen to her, somehow.

When he went back to the bar to tell her what happened, she seemed happy and truly shocked that he had listened to her, and he wondered if anyone had bothered to listen to her before.

She told him he could drink for free for the rest of the night to celebrate, and he told her he would only allow that if she stayed over after her shift to hang out with him. She agreed, much to his surprise.

He got a little too drunk on all of the shots she kept giving him, and when she clocked out they closed the bar down, out drinking everyone else there - even the old man who always sat at the last bar stool.

"I better get invited to the wedding," the man had said while pointing at the pair. They had just laughed the comment off and went their separate ways. As he was falling asleep that night, he could finally admit it to himself: he had it bad for this girl.

-0-0-0-0-0-

In the following months, Jimmy visited the bar Cindy worked at least once a week, sometimes more often if he wanted. Usually he would go with Sheen and Carl - the former was dating Cindy's coworker, Libby, and the latter didn't have the heart to argue about finding a different hangout place.

Sometimes Jimmy went alone, though, and those times were his favorites. He liked to stop there after work when the bar was still mostly empty and he could catch Cindy when she was studying. He noticed that over time she looked less annoyed each time he came in, and she smiled more easily at him than anyone else. They would banter back and forth and she would sometimes ask him about his job or about his 'genius'; and it always made him laugh when she brought it up, like she still didn't believe it was true.

It was starting to bother him that he never saw her outside of work. She did stay over after her shifts occasionally on weekends to hang out but he never saw her at a grocery store or walking around. He pondered the idea of asking her out, but he was afraid it would break the illusion of the bond they had formed - maybe she only thought of him as a bar customer. Maybe she had a million guys that hung around like he did, and she would serve them the occasional drink for free and sarcastic comments, too. He hoped that wasn't true.

On this particular Saturday night, the bar was busier than ever as it was only a week away from St. Patrick's Day, one of the biggest drinking days in the city of Chicago. Cindy had already confided in him that she was stressed about her upcoming graduation and how she was prepping for the bar exam, and he knew that being busy at work didn't help things.

He often asked her why she didn't get a new job. From what he could tell, she was smart and talented in more ways than just pouring drinks, but she seemed to be determined to keep working there. He internally wondered if her ex-boyfriend had something to do with it, but he didn't ask her that.

"Well, I ran away from home when I was 17," she had replied one day with a lighthearted tone. "This was my first real job and I just feel attached to it, I guess. I've worked at other places but none of them worked out. Once I graduate that will all change."

It was the first piece of insight he had to her past, and it only made him yearn for more. He couldn't believe she had ran away from home and still managed to survive in the city while going to a prestigious university. Hell, he didn't even know her real age - just with how she looked and the fact that she was in law school meant she was probably around his age, 25.

He comforted himself with the fact that getting to know her would just take some time. He wasn't known for being patient but he was willing to change that if she kept smiling at him like she did.

Cindy spotted the three guys as they walked in immediately and Jimmy could tell she wasn't happy - about what, he didn't know. Instead of greeting them like normal, she turned to the first table that a few younger, clearly rowdy guys were sitting.

"Get up. This table is reserved."

"What?" One of the cried. "You can't reserve tables here."

"You can if I say you can. Go somewhere else."

Even though she was a small, angry blonde going toe-to-toe with drunken college boys, she didn't seem to care, and they bowed to her easy confidence. She turned back to a stunned looking Sheen, Carl, and Jimmy and gestured to the table.

"Wow, blondie. You sure know how to make a guy feel special," Sheen said as was the first to recover. She just rolled her eyes and left, most likely to go get their usual orders.

"Your girlfriend is a brute," Sheen said to Jimmy as they sat down at the table.

"She's not my girlfriend, and she's not a brute. She's just...tough."

"She's more than a little scary, Jimmy," Carl agreed. He just shrugged.

Libby came back to our table with their drinks, much to Sheen's pleasure and Jimmy's disappointment. She caught his look and just smiled as she sat the drinks on the table.

"I know, I know. Caleb is forcing her to man the bar for the rest of her shift so if you want to talk to her you'll have to stick around."

She left and Carl said to Sheen, " _Your_ girlfriend can read minds."

"I hate Caleb," Jimmy muttered to no one in particular as he picked up his drink. The other two hummed their agreement.

For the next couple hours, he watched Cindy make drinks at the bar for demanding customers and she didn't look up - not even once. Jimmy grew angrier about the situation the longer he sat there, and he wished he could just talk to her one on one. At one point, he noticed that _Caleb_ was telling Cindy to take the trash out, which had to be done often throughout the night. Jimmy saw his opportunity and seized it.

There was an alley with a dumper next to the bar, and she would be there if he could make it out fast enough. He scrambled to get up and leave.

"Where are you going?" Sheen called out.

"I'll be right back! I'm, uh, going out for a smoke!"

"You don't smoke!"

He ignored him and turned the corner of the alley just as Cindy was throwing the bag of trash in the dumpster. She turned around, alarmed, as she heard him walking towards her quickly.

"Fucking hell, Jimmy. You're lucky I don't carry a weapon. What are you doing out here?"

"I just wanted to talk to you."

"So you followed me out here to do it?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"Well, yeah. It's not like your boyfriend will let me anywhere near you anyway."

She rolled her eyes. "He's my ex-boyfriend, and you're being weird right now. I'm going inside."

Cindy reached for the door but he stopped her by putting a hand on it. "I'm sorry. I just...I like talking to you."

She looked at him curiously, her eyes looking bright even in the dim alley. "Go on."

Go on? What else did she want him to say? He wasn't sure, but he decided to just go with his gut.

"I _like_ you, Cindy. I want to take you out."

She was shaking her head before he could even get the words fully out. "You don't even know me."

"So? That's the whole point of dating - we can get to know each other," he argued.

"I understand that, and I know you how you feel it's just-I can't. It wouldn't work out."

She knocked his arm out of the way and went inside, the noise and smells from the bar hitting him in the face for a brief moment before it shut behind her.

That was how it ended before it even began, and Jimmy knew it was probably best to let it go. She'd turned him down for whatever reason she thought was logical and that was that, or at least it should've been. Jimmy always believed in the try, try again method. Perhaps she just needed some convincing, and he could do that.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Instead of backing away gracefully and accepting his new position in the friend zone, Jimmy kept returning to the bar to see Cindy. She seemed a little put off at first by his continued presence after she turned him down, but slowly she returned back to her normal sassy self.

Jimmy began learning a few things about Cindy and latching onto those pieces of information like they were gold. He'd been able to find out - from her - that she was from a suburb of Chicago, that she hated the color purple and loved dogs. She wanted to get one, someday, when she could afford a real house. She wanted to live in the south someday, maybe Texas. Somewhere sunny and warm and open, unlike the city they lived in now.

The more time he spent learning about her, the more he wished he could stop - it was making him a little sad, since she seemed to not have any real feelings towards him besides friendship. He wanted to forget that she could make the perfect White Russian with her eyes closed and that she was the only left-handed person he knew. He didn't want to watch her eventually find someone else, but he couldn't stop visiting her at work.

Now it was almost May, and Jimmy was spending another Saturday night at the Pour House with his friends. In fact, it was almost bar closing time. Most of the patrons had left or were in the process of leaving, and Libby was closing Jimmy's tab for him while Sheen and Carl were already outside waiting for him.

Cindy hadn't been working tonight, much to Jimmy's surprise. She usually worked every weekend and would mention if she had the night off, but he supposed it was close enough to graduation that maybe she needed extra time to study. In her place, a taller and older brunette girl that was only part-time had worked.

"Did you hear what happened?" The girl asked Libby, who handed Jimmy his receipt and a pen.

"I'm sure you'll fill me in."

"Caleb and Cindy closed the bar together last night. By themselves. You know what that means."

Jimmy raised a brow as he signed the receipt, sliding it back over the bar towards Libby, who was giving him an uneasy look.

"What does it mean?"

"They must be back together."

"You don't know that," Libby argued. Jimmy, however, thought that maybe it made sense.

The other girl just scoffed. "They are always off and on. It's not a far reach. And she called me into work for her tonight for what reason? She never does that."

Having heard enough, Jimmy waved to Libby and attempted to leave the bar quickly, but he was being followed by her.

"Wait!" She called out, and Jimmy quickly tried to stop her from what she was about to say by putting a hand up, but she talked over him anyway. "I know what it looks and sounds like, but Cindy wouldn't get back together with Caleb. It's just gossip."

"How do you know?"

"She's my best friend, of course I know these things."

"Sure, whatever you say."

Libby huffed and pointed a finger at him. "I also know she likes you but she's too stubborn to admit it. She likes that you visit her all the time. She's doesn't talk to just anyone, you know."

"If that were true, why did she turn me down when I asked her out?"

"You asked her out?"

"She doesn't tell you everything, then," Jimmy said. He knew he was being an asshole but he couldn't help it. He was sort of drunk and angry and jealous. He should've listened to the logical part of him that said trying to get close to Cindy was a bad idea.

Sheen finally intervened between his angry girlfriend and best friend, and Jimmy stalked off towards his apartment without another word. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and pulled it out. Jackie.

It'd been months since he talked to her. He'd finally manned up and had the conversation he'd been dreading, and she had taken it surprisingly well. For awhile she still texted him and made small talk in order to remain an air of friendship between them, but even that diminished over time. It was nearly two am and she was calling him.

He knew it wasn't in his best interest, but he answered it anyway.

-0-0-0-0-0-

A couple weeks went by with Jimmy avoiding the bar and Cindy like the plague. It wasn't as if she had attempted to contact him or anything like he had hoped she would, but it just solidified the theory that maybe she really had gotten back together with Caleb.

The worst part was that he couldn't be mad at her. She was only his friend, and even that was stretching the limit of what they really had. He could be jealous all he wanted but that wouldn't change the fact that she didn't like him the same way he did.

Jackie was slowly trying to reintegrate her way into his life by asking him for coffee and dinner dates, and he went along with it. She was the same kind woman he had dated and that, at least, was comforting to him.

One night, they were walking together back to her apartment after dinner when Jackie pointed to a familiar bar front. "I've heard such good things about this place! Want to go in?"

He tried to protest, and when she pulled him by the hand into the building and wouldn't let go, he just hoped that maybe Cindy wasn't working. The flash of blonde hair he saw behind the bar made his heart sink.

Jackie pulled him to the bar and they sat down. It was a Tuesday and the place only had a few customers. Cindy caught his eye and her face was neutral, but he could tell by her body language that she was surprised.

"What can I get for you?" she asked them.

"Do you guys have a menu?" Jackie asked, and Cindy raised a brow.

"Sorry, no. But we have a full bar."

"Uh, what do you recommend?"

Watching the two girls interact was cringe-worthy for Jimmy, though there was nothing off about the conversation. He was half-afraid that Cindy would say something that would give him away for knowing her - not that it even mattered if she did.

Cindy slid her eyes over to Jimmy before answering. "Depends on what kind of day you're having."

Jackie looked at Jimmy too and smiled. "It's been a pretty good day, right?" She patted him on his knee and the act wasn't lost on the blonde, who rolled her discreetly but not subtle enough for Jimmy not to catch it.

"Uh, yeah, of course," he said awkwardly.

She started making their drinks and Jackie chattered about something that fell on deaf ears; he was too busy watching Cindy make their drinks, realizing quickly that she was pouring his favorite beer and making something bright pink that he knew Jackie would probably gush over.

He sat there in agony for an hour, having to watch Cindy help other customers from afar without being able to talk to her while also having to pay attention to Jackie, who was a little tipsy already. When she excused herself to the bathroom, he took a deep breath and wondered if he could fake a sickness in order to get them out of there quicker.

Cindy was standing in front of him in the next second, sliding him another drink. "What the fuck, genius?"

"What?"

"Don't _what_ me. You don't come in here for weeks and what's this - your new girlfriend?"

"She's technically my old girlfriend."

She rolled her eyes and leveled him with a glare right afterwards. "What the hell is going on?"

"Nothing. I'm not dating her, we're just friends. I don't know why you would care since you're dating Caleb-assface."

"Cute nickname. Where did you hear that?"

"One of your coworkers likes to talk about you when you're not around," he said, earning himself another eye roll.

"And you believed her?"

"I'm still not understanding why you're mad. You shot me down, remember?"

"You're an asshole."

"How? Because I like you?"

"No, because you only like me because you think I'm mysterious. My life isn't a pony show, genius. I turned you down because I'm trying to spare you the trouble of my life, not because I don't like you."

Jackie left the bathroom and he could hear the click of her heels as she made her way back to her seat. He cleared his throat and she looked at him expectantly. "Are you ready to go?" She glanced at his full drink and then back to him. "I'm not feeling well."

It was easy to get her to leave after that, and on the walk back to her place he told her how he was really feeling - that he was only interested in being friends and nothing else. She seemed to understand but he didn't miss the disappointed look on her face as he left.

He walked home alone with only Cindy and her non-admission of her feelings towards him on his mind. She hadn't exactly been clear, and she definitely hadn't given him the go-ahead to pursue her even more, but in his mind she'd given him an inch.

He'd go the extra mile if needed.

He sat on it for a few days before returning to the bar on Sunday, a day he usually didn't go there. He wasn't sure she'd even be working, but he hoped at least Libby would be there.

"She's not here," Caleb said as soon as Jimmy walked through the door.

"She doesn't work today?"

"No, she's not here and she's probably not coming back."

Jimmy stepped closer to the bar that Caleb was now leaning against on the other side. "What do you mean? She quit?"

"Yeah, she's always been a runner. I'm surprised she stuck around this long."

He sat down heavily a stool and watched, dazed, as Caleb wiped down the bar with a rag over and over again until it shined even with all of its scratches and worn texture.

"Why?" he finally asked quietly.

"She didn't say. She graduated, though, and I figured she'd do this. I just wish she would've given two weeks notice first."

"I guess I should leave."

"You can stay, if you want."

Staying didn't feel right. He wanted to believe that Caleb was lying to him, but if the sad look the old man at the other end of the bar was giving him meant anything, it was that he was telling the truth. She was gone.

He wanted to get up and go, but couldn't. Caleb hesitated before speaking again, "Listen, I know you think I'm just some asshole ex-boyfriend, but it isn't like that. Cindy and I are just friends now and I met her when she had just left home. I just feel protective of her, especially when guys like you come in here."

"Guys like me?"

"You know, smart. Rich. You seem to know what you're doing in life," he answered, and Jimmy wished he could tell him how wrong he was. "I know what guys like you see in Cindy. I know she's funny and beautiful and sharp, but she can be taken advantage of easily."

"Somehow I don't believe that."

Caleb just laughed. "It's happened before. But I think I know now that you really like her, huh?"

"Yeah. I do."

"I get it. And if I hear anything from her, you'll be the first to know. Just stop by once in awhile."

He flung the rag over his shoulder and walked back towards the backroom, not even asking if he wanted a drink. Jimmy glanced back towards the old man, who still had a sad look on his face.

"I told you, son," he said solemnly. "She healed your aching heart, didn't she?"

 _She had,_ Jimmy thought. But she'd also broken it, too.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

An entire summer went by without a word from Cindy. Sheen, Carl, and Jimmy still occasionally went to the Pour House since Libby still worked there, but it felt different for the young genius to be there. Emptier, somehow, even when the bar was at capacity.

He still held hope that maybe she'd reach out to him or someone and he would at least know she was okay. He had no idea where she went or what she was doing, and he found himself growing angrier each day. How could she do that? Why would she leave without saying goodbye or giving an explanation?

He came to the realization, however, that she'd tried to warn him about this. She'd known all along that she'd hurt him if he got too close and he had been too stubborn to listen.

When it was nearing September and the city was still as hot and humid as ever, he decided it was time. He had to stop thinking about her, even if that meant stopping going to the Pour House altogether, since all it did was remind him of her. He was determined to move on.

An intense rain storm moved through the city and it rained for four days without stopping, flooding streets and soaking everyone to the bone. Jimmy didn't really mind. He spent more time at work now than anywhere else, and he couldn't tell what the weather was like down in his own private lab. It was the longest he'd been able to hold down a job that was exciting enough for him to stay, and he wouldn't have even given the place a chance if it hadn't been for Cindy.

It was Friday, and he got invited out by Sheen, but he wasn't feeling particularly social. He blamed it on the rain but he knew it was more than that. He turned down the invitation and decided to stay in, but Sheen was being persistent - texting him every half hour, trying to convince him to come out.

He wasn't sure why it was so important to him that he went out on _this_ night specifically but he continued to ignore the texts. He felt bad, but he knew they were at Cindy's old bar, and he didn't want to go there again.

A knock at his door startled him around one am, and he sighed. It was probably Sheen and Carl. He ripped open the door without looking through the peephole, ready to give them a piece of his mind, but froze when he saw who it was.

Cindy stood in front of him, looking small and a little scared. She was soaked; her long hair making a puddle on the floor and she was shivering a little. It was the first time he'd seen her outside of her work uniform or work place, even.

"You didn't come to the bar," she said quickly.

His brain was trying to rewire itself, trying to think of an appropriate response while also trying to process the fact that she was standing in front of him.

"I waited all night for you to show up," she said when he couldn't form words. "I know that's not much of an apology though. I'm sorry, Jimmy."

It was one of the few times she'd said his name and his brain clicked into place.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"I think you're asking me why I came back," she reworded for him carefully. "Or maybe you're asking why I left. I can answer both."

"Both would be good."

"I left to see my parents. I hadn't seen them since I was seventeen, and my dad was dying of cancer."

He wanted to curse himself for being angry at her when she was going through something so horrible. "Cindy, I'm sorry-"

"I'm not done - he died two weeks ago. I only went back to tell them I graduated law school. It's a long story."

"I'm starting to understand that."

"And I came back because when I was gone, I thought about you every. Single. Day. I was so mad at myself for letting you get under my skin like that. I missed you. I really do like you, genius."

He'd been gripping the door handle tightly, and he released it as she quit speaking, taking a couple small steps towards her. She seemed to shrink into herself as he got closer, and she put up a shaky hand as if to stop him.

"I know I have a lot to apologize for, but it's not very nice to make me wait at the bar for so long. And I had to run all the way here because who actually takes a cab in this city? The prices are outrageous-"

"Cindy?" He said while stepping even closer to her, so close he could see all the different flecks of color in her eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Please stop talking."

He kissed her, and she had a strong grip on the front of his shirt almost immediately as if she expected him to disappear. He wrapped his arms around her small frame, not caring about her wet clothes or muddy shoes or messy hair. He picked her up easily and she wrapped her legs around his waist automatically - if any of his neighbors were to come out in the hallway right now, they would be getting quite the show.

With that thought, he carried her inside, kicking the door shut behind him. He carried her all the way to his bed and he could still feel her shivering as he laid her down, her eyes shiny as she looked up at him. He whispered in her ear that he would keep her warm if she wanted, and she smiled that beautiful smile that made his heart ache in answer, and so that's what he did.

Later that night - or more like the next morning judging by the sunrise coming through the window - she giggled quietly. He popped open an eye to look at her, Her hair, which had dried a little wavy, was everywhere, even landing in his mouth at times during the night, but he liked it. She looked wide awake next to him.

"Care to share?"

"There might be a joke somewhere about a genius walking into a bar but I can't remember it right now," she said. "Can you?"

"No, but I think he falls in love with the bartender in the end."

"I'm not sure if that's how it goes."

"Who's the actual genius here?"

"You do have a point. I guess you could always rewrite it."

He reached out and tickled her, and she laughed, batting his hands away. "I'm not rewriting anything," he teased. "That's how the story goes."

She rested a hand on his cheek, her eyes suddenly serious. "You might need to. I fell in love with you first."

They spent the rest of the day arguing the logistics of who fell in love with who first, and Jimmy couldn't think of a better way to spend his time. He was pretty sure that no such joke actually existed, but that was fine. The story was real, and it would always be theirs.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

 **Some little notes about this story - I love Chicago and that's why I chose it as the setting for this story. The Pour House is real but I've never been there, and UofC has one of the best law programs around. If you're curious about the drink Cindy made Jimmy in the first scene, it's called a Twelve Mile Limit. It has rum, whiskey, grenadine, lemon juice, and brandy. The French 75 is champagne, gin, sugar, and lemon juice. I've never had either of these drinks but they sound good.**

 **I also chickened out with writing a lemon. I told myself I'd do it and it didn't happen. Maybe someday!**

 **If you read my other stories, I just want to say I'm sorry for taking so long. I wrote this to hopefully heal some of my writer's block for The Crown and to make up for the long waiting you guys have done.**

 **I am the queen of providing too much information! You're welcome! Please leave a review if you read this WHOPPER of a story. Hint: if you like it, I wouldn't say no to continuing within this same alternate universe. Let me know what you guys think.**


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